Fix the Criminal Justice System

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of 6340 Napa Woods Way, in Naples, Fl hosted a meeting tonight, Thursday, January 19, 2017 from 7 to 9 P.M. about Florida's Broken Criminal Justice System and how to fix it.


The event was co-sponsored by the ACLU of Florida Collier County Chapter, NAACP, Collier County Jewish Community Relations Council, and the Universalist Unitarian Congregation.

The speakers presented as a panel and addressed criminal justice reform on a local, state, and national level and its impact on public safety, recidivism for offenders, ending the war on drugs and other solutions to a system that has proven to be unproductive, wasteful, and dominated by racial disparities.

Discussions included the use of SWAT Teams, how some 95% of sentences were result of plea bargaining, and mandatory minimum sentences.  Also the fact that some 70% of prisoners will return after release and how the length of prison sentences is increasing.  The problems with education, mental health, and the use of basically military-type forces to counter basic health problems.

Panelists included (from left to right) Raymer Maguire, Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform Manager, ACLU of Florida, Deborah Brodsky, Director, Project on Accountable Justice, FSU, and Adam Bates, J.D., Policy Analyst, Cato  Institute's Project on Criminal Justice.  Moderator was Mo Winograd who can be reached at mowinograd973@gmail.com